1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to pressurized containers, and more specifically relates to an inflator for a vehicle protection apparatus.
2. Background Art
Inflatable vehicle restraints such as air bags are used for protecting vehicle occupants during collisions. When the vehicle undergoes a collision a sensor detects the rapid change in motion and provides an electrical signal to activate an inflator, which rapidly expands an air bag to provide a protective cushion of restraint for an occupant in various impact conditions.
Many types of inflators have been disclosed in the art for inflating an inflatable restraint system. One type utilizes a stored compressed gas, which is released to inflate the restraint system. Another type utilizes a combustible gas generating material, such as sodium azide, which upon ignition generates a quantity of hot gas to inflate the restraint. In yet another type, a combination of a compressed stored gas and a combustible material are both used to inflate the restraint. Inflators using combustible gas are often considered unsafe because of the heat that they generate. However, compressed gas inflators have often been unreliable or they have released compressed gas at an excessive rate that causes air bags to injure vehicle occupants.